Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Hi,
Mick is my name and I and my family are flying from Sydney (Australia) to New York in May 2011 can anyone advise us on a centralised area to stay at reasonable rates + as we are planning to hire a car in New York and drive to Washington DC want is the best (easiest traffic wise) place to hire a car. Your suggestions are most welcome
Status:
"Let this year be over..."
(set 27 days ago)
Location: Where my bills arrive
19,242 posts, read 17,117,587 times
Reputation: 15547
With gas prices the way they are heading have you considered getting a shuttle flight to DC then renting a car from their airport? You could also take the train from NYC to DC, once in the city you probally won't be driving very much. Traffic wise there is no easy way depending on how you hit it will determine what you encounter.
Wish you had a little more information, like price range.
Do you want to specifically stay in NYC? Chelsea has some areas that are around 90-150 and are relatively clean. If you're looking for cheaper, you may have to take the Queens route and stay in Long Island City or Astoria or a place with cheapo hotels with a subway close to the city (in areas that aren't too bad).
I wouldn't suggest renting a car when you're in New York, it actually is much harder to get around WITH a car because the subways are so plentiful. I recommend taking a bus to Washington DC (Bolt Bus is super cheap, has an internet connection and bathroom, and goes straight from New York City to Washington DC with only one or two stops inbetween).
If you NEED a car, I suggest taking the subway from the city to Jamaica, Queens... then taking the airtrain to either Kennedy or La Guardia airport, and renting a car there. You can then leave the airport and get straight on the highway, instead of renting a car in New York and trying to maneuver through the awful traffic.
More info please? Are you just stopping in NY then on to DC? OR You're spending time in NY and going to DC for the sights? What kind of accomodations are you looking for...5 star? You can find reasonable accomodation in Queens; Manhattan is more expensive. but it's depends on how much you want to spend. Dc can also be overwhelming with traffic. So I'm not so sure about renting a car (unless it's just to get there, but not to drive around) because you're better off taking the metro there also. Provide more info.
I highly suggest taking the Amtrak train from NYC to Washington D.C. It would be a far safer mode of transport (especially for someone new to the country & area), and may even be more practical & cost efficient. You'd bypass traffic jams and wouldn't have to pay for parking in either of these two dense cities. USA's Northeast corridor is the one part of the country where taking the train between cities makes even more sense than flying. Plus, this way you can start your trip from the heart of the city (Penn Station in Midtown Manhattan) rather than schlepping it to Queens only to get pat down & made to feel violated by the TSA and be subject to further flight delays. Then on top of that if your luck is bad the flight could end up being uncomfortable and turbulent (in addition to having tiny seats with barely any leg room). Take the Amtrak, relax with plenty of leg room and enjoy the scenery. Just my two cents.
Quote:
Originally Posted by mickwil
Hi,
Mick is my name and I and my family are flying from Sydney (Australia) to New York in May 2011 can anyone advise us on a centralised area to stay at reasonable rates + as we are planning to hire a car in New York and drive to Washington DC want is the best (easiest traffic wise) place to hire a car. Your suggestions are most welcome
If you NEED a car, I suggest taking the subway from the city to Jamaica, Queens... then taking the airtrain to either Kennedy or La Guardia airport, and renting a car there. You can then leave the airport and get straight on the highway, instead of renting a car in New York and trying to maneuver through the awful traffic.
YIKES! What a long roundabout route to rent a car. If you're staying in Manhattan, you don't head EAST to rent a car then turn around and drive back west to get on 95 to DC.
If you are in Manhattan, you go to Newark Airport and rent a car - you are already right there on 95 to head down to DC. BUT, even as a driver, I would not rent a car if you plan to stay IN DC and not in the suburbs.
Take the Amtrak (train) from Manhattan to DC. (train for comfort over bus) Sightsee your hearts out in DC (car is as much a liability in DC as it is in Manhattan). Then, when you are finished with DC proper and you want to head out to Maryland or Virginia or wherever, rent the car.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jdawg8181
Wow yeah don't drive from NYC to DC....it's going to cost a fortune!!
You can get bus tickets for like $30.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
